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Thinking of original recipes, putting together indoor light lamps, photographing every step of the cooking process, editing photos, and coming up witticisms about pictures of my food seems like absolute drudgery these days.

I have also been feeling exceptionally uninspired lately.

The thing is I still like to read blogs, peruse cookbooks, shop for unique ingredients, put together meal plans, try new recipes, find fun workouts, learn about nutrition, holistic health, the human body, and talk about all things vegan.

In fact, I could spend a whole weekend doing those things.

I could even spend a whole cold, dreary, gray January weekend, curled up in my favorite fleece blanket putting together a list of all my favorite food, health, and wellness things.

I could spend the better part of a day paging through any and all cookbooks, but when I need some meal planning help, it’s a short list:

Veganomican

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

If you’re making your foray into vegan cooking, and you can only afford one cookbook, this is the one to buy. It has everything you will ever need to be able to cook wholesome and delicious vegan food for the rest of your life. It contains recipes from every category including appetizers, snacks, dips, spreads, brunch, salads, dressings, sandwiches, vegetables, grains, beans, soups, casseroles, tofu, tempeh, pasta, breads, cookies, and desserts.

Not only that, it has basic cooking guides for grains, vegetables, and beans so you can try a variety of techniques and put together your own meals.

It is literally an encyclopedia of cooking and recipes.

Mine is splattered with various batters and sauces because every recipe I have tried has been awesome. Usually, I find only one or two recipes I make more than once from a cookbook, but this book is filled with recipes that will become part of your weekly rotation.

I promise.

When I’m looking for lower calorie fare, I reach for

Appetite for Reduction

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

What can I say? This girl has it going on. All of her food is so, so good! This book is packed with salads, dressings, hummus, veggies, pasta, soups, and comforting stews and chili. If it sounds plain, it’s because I’m not a good enough writer to properly do it justice. However, let the recipes speak for themselves:

Sanctuary Chef Salad

Green Goddess Garlic Dressing

Catalan Couscous Salad with Pears and Romanesco Dressing

OMG Oven Baked Onion Rings

Butternut Coconut Rice

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale

Mac and Trees

Lotsa Veggie Lentil Soup

Veggie Potpie Stew

Some of the recipes sound exotic, but they are all simple and are perfect for the weeknight meal rotation. Plus they are filled with whole grains, veggies, beans, and aren’t excessive in fat or calories. I also appreciate that it includes the nutritional stats for each recipe for those who like to keep track of that sort of thing.

If you read the blog with any regularity, you have seen this book pop up from time to time:

VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR

It’s because it’s filled with no-fuss cookie recipes that no one would ever guess are vegan. They are real cookies. None of that health food crap pretending to be a classic cookie. It’s fat, sugar, and flour and all your childhood memories mixed together in a bowl and baked until the tears from the realization that adulthood is hard have dried up.

The book I’m looking forward to cooking from:

Betty Goes Vegan

by Betty and Dan Shannon

This book is also an encyclopedia of vegan cookery and I can’t wait to get crackin’. Vegan Betty has a little bit of everything but all 500(!) recipes are inspired from traditional Betty Crocker recipes. It’s a combination of nutritious eats and veganized comfort food classics, and there is a recipe for every occasion including:

Blueberry Banana Bread Pancakes

Mediterranean Salad

Vegan Ranch Dressing

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

French Toast Biscotti

Pizza Bread

Peanut Butter Egg Cookies

Doughnuts

More Doughnuts

Inside Out Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Hazlenut Pudding

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

There are also plenty of recipes for sauces, dressings, pie crusts, puddings, and frostings to add to foods already in your arsenal.

A word of warning: Many of the recipes in the book contain processed vegan meat and cheese replacements. It’s nothing to get in a huff about but don’t get all pissed off at me if you buy the book hoping for 100% whole foods. Remember, its imitating the meat and cheese goddess of the 20th century. And personally, I have no problem having those things on occasion. I try not to make them staples of my diet, but if I’m hankering for pizza, then Daiya cheese just might find its way on top of it. All things in moderation and all that blah, blah, blah.

The book I want but don’t have:

Vegetarian Flavor Bible

I’m depending on this book to make up for my shortcomings as a self-taught home cook and help me put together foods and flavors that go beyond peanutbutter/banana and tomato/basil. I like to experiment but since time, money, and resources are at a premium, I’d sure appreciate not having to throw away a whole cake because I was just so sure it needed two tablespoons of cardamom powder.

And in the things you need to know category:

THIN MINTS ARE NOW VEGAN!

Sure, we could get in a debate about the best tasting Girl Scout Cookie but we all know that there is one cookie that punches every other cookie in it’s sweet, sweet face.

Thin Mints have always been my all-time favorite Girl Scout cookie.

And now those cute, little cookie monsters have made them Vegan.

I shall enjoy them by the sleeve and make sure that each and every tooth is crusted in Thin Mint Cookie crumbs.

I’ll be back at a later undisclosed date and time with more randomness floating around my brain space!

*Note: Some people get compensated for featuring things on their blog. I am not one of those people. This is just a list of stuff I truly, actually like.

Mix until a pliable dough forms (add additional flour by the tablespoon, if needed).

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let chill while you prepare the frosting.

I used a basic buttercream recipe directly from my second favorite book:

For the

Vanilla Whipped Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup non-dairy milk

Beat the shortening and margarine together until creamy and fluffily. Add in the powdered sugar about 1/4 cup at a time, alternating with a small amount of milk. Add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

Now, put the frosting in the fridge until ready to use.

Remove the cookie dough from the fridge.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll tablespoon amount into balls and place in mini-muffin pan.

Press down with your thumb to create the cookie cup.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

They will puff up when they bake, but I pressed them back down at about 8 minutes and finished cooking for an additional two minutes.

*Tidbit: It’s better for them to be a touch underdone so the sides do not get too hard. Check them at 8 and 10 minutes.*

Remove from pan and allow to cool.

While they are cooling, prepare your ganache, also taken directly from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

To make the

Chocolate Ganache:

1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used dark chocolate almond)

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

In a small saucepan, bring almond milk to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and add the semi-sweet chocolate and maple syrup. Stir until completely smooth.

To assemble the cookie cups:

Add a small spoonful of the ganache to each cookie up.

Pipe or spoon in buttercream frosting.

Drizzle with additional ganache.

I added a small peppermint stick to half.

I added these cupcake toppers to the other half for the peppermint haters.

Here they are before the competition:

These cookie cups are definitely winners.

I hope you decide to devour some!

In case you’re wondering why I walked my 5k, it’s because there are two people in this photo!

I was watching 60 year old Christmas movies starring a cast of puppets and strings, when I was moved by a particular scene.

Santa was galavanting around town pretending to be, um, not Santa when he starts chatting up a young boy.

Can you name this movie? I’ll send a batch of cookies to the first person with the right answer!

Due to a nasty cold, Not Santa Santa sneezes, which alarms the young boy’s mother.

Upon learning that it was actually that it was not her son that was suffering from sinus issues, the mother promptly invites her son’s “new friend” into the house and offers a nice home remedy to combat his cold.

That would NEVER happen today.

Today we would assume that man was probably some sort of pedophile who was trying to take advantage of an innocent little boy.

We would probably call the police, or at the very least, punch him in the jingle bells.

Essentially we have become so jaded and so cynical, we don’t even trust Santa anymore.

But when there’s a cookie contest following the race, the extent of my training consists of running to the store for more flour and sugar.

Santa personally requested you leave a plate of these cookies on December 24th.

The real training involves not eating all of them before the big guy arrives.

Peppermint Whoopie Pies will have you running to the kitchen to steal another one of these sweet Christmas treats. Thick peppermint filling is sandwiched between dark chocolate cake cookies to make one delectable whoopie that will keep you on the nice list for years to come.

Peppermint Whoopie Pies

(vegan)

For the cookies:

1/2 cup non-dairy milk, warmed

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup non-dairy margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder

2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons HOT coffee or water

For the peppermint filling:

1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract (or to taste)

1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Optional garnish: 6 crushed candy canes

*Tidbit: The secret to getting a good rise from these cookies is letting the batter rest before baking. Mix the batter and then pre-heat the oven for perfectly cake-y cookies.

Using apple butter makes this bread super moist and tender. It’s also quite hearty thanks to white whole wheat flour and flax seeds. It has a deep apple flavor and warms you up from the inside out. A hot cup of coffee and a thick slice of apple butter bread is a great way to enjoy a chilly morning on the porch.

Apple Butter Bread

2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 2 tablespoons water

1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups apple butter

1/2 cup turbinado or light brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flax seed and water in a medium sized bowl and set aside to thicken.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Oops! Don’t forget the cinnamon!

Add apple butter, sugar, and oil to flax mixture.

Stir in the flour, just until combined.

The batter will be super thick.

Spread batter in a loaf pan.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until browned on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

If you're looking for a quick Easter breakfast, this bread is great egg hunting fuel!

For those of you that want to know when I am having a baby,

let me just say this will be the only thing coming out of my oven for a very long time.

Using apple butter makes this bread super moist and tender. It’s also quite hearty thanks to white whole wheat flour and flax seeds. It has a deep apple flavor and warms you up from the inside out. A hot cup of coffee and a thick slice of apple butter bread is a great way to enjoy a chilly morning on the porch.

Apple Butter Bread

2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 2 tablespoons water

1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups apple butter

1/2 cup turbinado or light brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flax seed and water in a medium sized bowl and set aside to thicken.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Oops! Don’t forget the cinnamon!

Add apple butter, sugar, and oil to flax mixture.

Stir in the flour, just until combined.

The batter will be super thick.

Spread batter in a loaf pan.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until browned on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

If you're looking for a quick Easter breakfast, this bread is great egg hunting fuel!

For those of you that want to know when I am having a baby,

let me just say this will be the only thing coming out of my oven for a very long time.

Since the coffee flavor is prominent in this cookie, make sure to use a high quality bean. If you have extra because you don't regularly use whole beans, you can put the leftovers in glass vases and have a great smelling centerpiece.

Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a cookie sheet.

Tidbit: These look much better if you take the time to roll them into balls instead of just dropping the dough on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

The cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven. Let them cool completely before shoving them in your face.

Bag the evidence.

Don’t forget the K-9 unit.

Thank you to all of the men and women who work hard to keep our community safe.

It seems weird to me, though, to identify myself as ” a vegetarian” or “a vegan.”

No one else walks around saying “I’m an omnivore” and making loud proclamations during the staff luncheon that they DO eat meat.

I eat food.

I don’t define myself by it.

But if I did,

I would be vegan.

I would be

A

BIG

FAT

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE

VEGAN

MUFFIN.

Just because baked goods don’t contain eggs or dairy, doesn’t mean that can’t be insanely delicious.

The cocoa, chocolate chips, and cherries make this muffin decadent enough for dessert while the whole wheat flour and applesauce in place of oil make them perfect for a special occasion breakfast treat.

Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour or overnight.

Roll to 1/4″ thickness onto surface dusted with confectioners sugar.

Dusting your surface with confectioners sugar instead of flour ensures that you will get a sweet cookie that's not too dry.

Cut with snowflake shaped cookie cutter.

I wanted to make gingerbread men holding M-16's but I couldn't find a semi-automatic cookie cutter.

Repeat until dough is gone.

Place two inches apart on cookie sheet.

Tidbit: These cookies only need to bake for a short time otherwise you will end up with a crispy cookie. If the bottoms are brown, you've cooked them too long. They should look doughy and under-baked when they come out of the oven.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 6 minutes.

Let cool for five minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.